Tri-Cities comes out on top again — takes coach and 2 state baseball players of the year

With three area baseball teams winning state titles, it only stood to reason that more honors would follow.

The Mid-Columbia had 12 players and one coach named to the Washington State Baseball Coaches Association All-State teams as selected by WSBCA board and member coaches.

Southridge, which won the 3A state title, led the way with four players chosen, including Player of the Year Jake Harvey (short stop), while Suns skipper Tim Sanders was named Coach of the Year.

Also honored from Southridge were senior pitcher Wyatt Hull, senior pitcher/first baseman Brendan Tool and senior catcher Lane Hailey.

"Those guys, they worked at it," Sanders said. "It has been their craft. You make it that far in the tournament, you are going to get noticed. They had a great support staff, without them, we don't stay afloat."

Joining the Suns on the 3A team were junior first baseman Tim Gee and senior pitcher Trent Sellers of Kennewick.

The 2B state champion Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars had sophomore shortstop/pitcher Logan Mercado named Player of the Year. He was joined by teammate Max Nelson, a junior pitcher/infielder.

The 4A state champion Richland Bombers had seniors Christian Berry (first base) and Josh Mendoza (outfield) selected, while Walla Walla senior Scott Golden (outfield) also was honored.

At the 1A level, Connell senior Tristen Garland (utility) was selected.

3A Honors

Sanders, the only baseball coach Southridge has ever known, led the Suns to their second state title in May. Their first title came in 2004.

The Suns finished the season 23-4. Sanders was named MCC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Oregon State is the next stop for Harvey, who led the Suns with a .517 average. The Mid-Columbia Conference MVP hit 12 doubles, six triples and eight home runs, along with 30 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

On the mound, he had an ERA of 2.12, picking up 10 saves. He struck out 24 and walked nine batters.

"Jake has that winning pedigree," Sanders said. "He's a yard rat. He's always been the guy who wants the ball. They (Oregon State) play the game right. He will fit right in for (OSU coach) Pat Casey."

Hailey, a two-time all-MCC catcher hit .512 and had an on-base percentage of .610. He hit 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs and had 33 RBIs. He will play at Walla Walla Community College next season.

Hull, an MCC first-team selection, was 13-1 for the Suns with a 3.36 ERA. He struck out 51 and never gave up a home run. He has signed to play at Blue Mountain Community College.

Tool, who pitched and played first base for the Suns, hit .425. The all-MCC second-team first baseman had 39 hits, including nine doubles. He drove in 29 runs. In the Final Four, he went 5-for-6 with five RBIs. He plans to walk on at Pacific Lutheran University.

Sellers, who is bound for Washington State University, was the MCC Pitcher of the Year. He was 8-3 for the Lions with a 1.96 ERA. He stuck out 85 batters in 64 innings of work.

At the plate, Sellers hit .419, with four doubles, four home runs and 25 RBIs.

Gee hit .442 for Kennewick. He had 11 doubles, three triples, two home runs and drove in 32 runs.

4A honors

The Bombers, who won their fifth state title in May, finished the season 18-10 and surprised a lot of people along the way.

Mendoza, who only struck out four times during the season, hit .465. Of his 40 hits, 30 were singles, along with nine doubles and one home run. He drove in 27 runs and scored 22 times. He was a first-team all-MCC outfielder.

Berry, who is bound for WWCC, was an all-MCC first-team utility player. He hit .515 for the Bombers, including 27 singles, seven doubles and four home runs. He had 27 RBIs and just three errors.

Golden, a first-team outfielder, hit .359 with six doubles, two triples and two home runs. He also had 17 RBIs and scored 19 times. He also was one of Walla Walla's valedictorians.

1A honors

Garland, who is headed to Big Bend Community College, was the co-MVP of the SCAC East. He hit .460 for the Eagles, including 14 doubles, five triples, three home runs and 29 RBIs. He scored a team-high 42 runs.

On the mound, Garland was 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings.

2B honors

Tri-Cities Prep finished the season with a 25-2 record and its first state title. The Jaguars had no seniors on their team.

Leading the way was Mercado, the EWAC Player of the Year, who already has verbally committed to Oregon.

On the mound, Mercado was 10-1 with 123 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA. In 95 plate appearances, he struck out just three times. He hit .441 with nine doubles, five triples, two home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.

Nelson, one of three juniors on the team, was 8-1 on the mound with a 2.25 ERA. He struck out 51. At the plate, he hit .422 with seven doubles, seven triples, 33 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.